Friday, June 29, 2012

The New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments continues—and so do the thrills and danger for Jace, Clary, and Simon.Can the lost be reclaimed? What price is too high to pay for love? Who can be trusted when sin and salvation collide? Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series. (Goodreads Summary)

Flo's Review

Wow. This is going to be a hard one to write without spoilers. (Don't worry! I'll do it!) I wrote in a Goodreads update that Cassandra Clare could write about these characters walking down the street and I would find it an entertaining read. I loved seeing the character growth in this installment -- Izzy comes to mind immediately, but I also enjoyed understanding Alec a bit better. As always, the characters interactions with each other and the love they have for each other made the book. I also loved the setting and scenery in this book...Prague, Paris, etc...what's not to love?!

For th0se of you who have read it, there is one relationship that DESTROYED me at the end!!!!!!

Let's see how Cassie Clare wraps this series up! And on a random note -- did we ever find out WHY Magnus is banned from Peru?!?!

Saturday, June 23, 2012

When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she’s single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, stalked by her ex’s frat brother, and failing a class for the first time in her life.

Her econ professor gives her an email address for Landon, the class tutor, who shows her that she’s still the same intelligent girl she’s always been. As Jacqueline becomes interested in more from her tutor than a better grade, his teasing responses make the feeling seem mutual. There’s just one problem—their only interactions are through email.

Meanwhile, a guy in her econ class proves his worth the first night she meets him. Nothing like her popular ex or her brainy tutor, Lucas sits on the back row, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. At a downtown club, he disappears after several dances that leave her on fire. When he asks if he can sketch her, alone in her room, she agrees—hoping for more.

Then Jacqueline discovers a withheld connection between her supportive tutor and her seductive classmate, her ex comes back into the picture, and her stalker escalates his attention by spreading rumors that they’ve hooked up. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy.

I put this on to my "to-read" list after I read an amazing review of it on The Autumn Review. I have to say I am glad that I purchase this book........WOW.............just WOW!!

I am going to say one thing about this book that is a SPOIL! I know that there is a warning of sexual situations please understand that includes an a attempted rape scene. You all know that I usually do not read books that have this type of content BUT it is an essential part of the book and I was able to skim that part and not lose the importance of it.

Anyway, back to the good stuff, a hot hot hot Lucas! OH YES! I love me some Lucas! He is mysterious and is always staring at Jacqueline. Plus, he seems to be there when she really needs him! Then there is Kennedy (Jacqueline ex boyfriend) (ugh), he dumps her after 3 years together, then tries to get back into her good graces (jerk!). But, then there is Landon. The econ tutor that Jacqueline has not met but emails a lot. There is some serious flirting that goes on there too!

Then the twist happens! I really did not see the twist but I LIKED IT!

This is a awesome book and a quick read! I am telling you all to buy it now!

Amber Walker and her older brother, Jake, have an abusive father. One night her brother's best friend, Liam, sees her crying and climbs through her bedroom window to comfort her. That one action sparks a love/hate relationship that spans over the next eight years.

Liam is now a confident, flirty player who has never had a girlfriend before. Amber is still emotionally scarred from the abuse she suffered at the hands of her father. Together they make an unlikely pair.

Their relationship has always been a rocky one, but what happens when Amber starts to view her brother's best friend a little differently? And how will her brother, who has always been a little overprotective, react when he finds out that the pair are growing closer? Find out in The Boy Who Sneaks In My Bedroom Window.

Mary's Review:

O. M.. G.!!!!!!!!!!! This book was recommended to me by the awesome @JennNun. I put it on my "to-read" list, but it was not until I saw the review from Mandy over at I Read Indie Books, that I push it up my list and read it!

I was a FOOL because I did not read this book sooner. I do not even know where to begin on how awesome this book was. So, I will start from the beginning......

Jake and Amber are siblings and their neighbor is Liam, who is also Jake's best friend. Jake and Amber suffer some serious abuse from their father. One night when Amber is 8 and Liam is 10 he sees her crying and he sneaks through her window and comforts her (aaaawwwww!). He continued to do that every night for 8 years!!! (I KNOW RIGHT!!!!)

Now, they all are in high school and Liam and Jake are the "the-big-guys" on campus and still very protective of Amber. But, things have changed. Liam is a "player" of sorts and Amber can handle people touching her. They really are opposites but, the story has some twist and turns.

I am not going to spoil any of it, but I will say this.............READ THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sherry has always known there was something out there. She's eighteen, works for a tabloid newspaper in Chicago and has a brother, Danny who is a lazy mooch. They live a pretty normal dull life with hippie parents and a normal existence Then the moon dissapears and people start to go missing only to reappear later, but different. Sherry has an abusive ex-boyfriend who shows up and claims to be one of these beings that have been showing up around the world. He's no longer the same person in that body. He tells her he has come to protect her and her brother and takes her underground, against her will to save her, where they meet others like them. She begins to unravel the truth about Merrick, about what he's really doing here, about the way he looks at her, about the crazy dangerous world they live in. Can he convince her that he's here to help? Will she like what she finds when she opens up to the truth? Will he be the one to love her when everyone else has failed her? Will he be able to protect her?

Sherry and Merrick's story continues in this sequel to Collide. In this installment, we come face to face with old acquantances and new friends and new enemies. Things will change for all of them especially when a little girl is found and everyone's loyalties are tested. A revelation may upset the delicate balance they've all tried so hard to set. There's new love, new rivalries and new transformations in the continuing series of Collide

In the third installment of the Collide series, we start off with Sherry, taken prisoner in the enforcement facility. The little bunker family must now decide whether it's worth the risk to try to save her or if it would bring doom to them all. Lily has started showing signs of her gift progressing, which may not be a desirable thing. And as Marissa starts to act strangely, Jeff must come to terms that there may be more to her illness that meets the eye.Daniel, the Lighter who shocked Lillian with his human emotions will reappear, but for what purpose? Will Sherry be rescued before it's too late? Will Daniel prove to be a genuine miracle? Will Cain be able to fully get over his love for Sherry and move on with Lillian? And how much more trouble can the new Taker cause for the rebels? Some will make it and some won't as the story continues..

Mary's Review:

Everyone knows that I have a "slight" obsession with Shelly Crane's writing. She has quickly became one of most favorite authors. Her talents as an author still put my in awe. When she realized that I had not read this series yet she was kind enough to loan me the books to read them. I had been so busy reading other books that this book series of Shelly's kept getting pushed down my "to-read" list. Then finally I was able to have to find the time to read these. Of course, I was not disappointed at all!

What I liked about the series: I loved all the characters. When I first started Collide I thought it was just going to be about Sherry and Merrick, their love and the battle. Well, I was WRONG! There are a lot of characters in this series and each one holds a special place in the book and in the story. I quickly fell in love with them all. I enjoyed the fight of good vs. evil and seeing character fall in love (even through the dark times).

What I did not like: Without giving out too much, it's the death and/or suffering of a character that I do not know. Of course, there needs to be death and pain for good to prevail, but I still do not like it.

Favorite Character: There are several that I love in this series but Sherry (by far) is my favorite. She puts everyone before her and she is the first to protect everyone. I love watching her love, compassion, and fierceness grow throughout the books! She is an amazing character!

I really thought that Shelly was going to end this with three books. I was wrong. The forth installment will be out later this year. I can say that I will be waiting for it!

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Something Blue is a continuation of Something Borrowed. If you haven't read that book, you should read it before Something Blue. This isn't one of those books that you can pick up, start reading, and fully appreciate without reading the first book in the series.

For those of you who haven't read the first book, I will give you a quick summary of the characters. Rachel and Darcy have been best friends since they were four years old. They are now 30 and living in New York City. Rachel is the smart and sensible attorney who recently stole Darcy's fiance' (Dex). Ordinarily this would be an unthinkable situation, but I was actually rooting for Rachel and Dex because they seemed perfect for each other.

Darcy on the other hand is an unlikeable character. I can not describe her any better than their long time friend Ethan who said...

"You are shallow. You're utterly selfish and misguided, with totally screwed up values." She is the attractive, flirty, party girl who thinks she is entitled to anything and anyone she wants, simply because she is beautiful. She was actually dating one of the groomsmen (Marcus) during her engagement and is expecting his child when she decided to call off the wedding. Dex was also planning on cancelling the wedding because he was in love with Rachel. You would think this mutual realization would lead to an amicable split, but not when Darcy is a factor in the equation.

This is where Something Blue starts. I was a bit leery at first about the change in narrator. The first book was told from Rachel's perspective, but now we are getting Darcy's side of the story. Darcy does rehash several situations from Something Borrowed, so we get her point of view on various events that unfolded in book one. We also learn more about her relationship with Marcus. It doesn't take Darcy long to alienate herself from all of her friends and family. I actually enjoyed watching her sense of entitlement get whisked out from under her as her life came crashing down before her pretty little Jimmy Choos. Before long she was left with only one option. She decided to move to London to "visit" Ethan for a few weeks, but she had no intentions of returning to New York. She was on a mission to find herself an attractive and wealthy Englishman who could support her and her unborn child.

After about 200 pages, and a reality check discussion with Ethan, we FINALLY get to see Darcy's finer side. She begins to take her pregnancy more seriously and realizes that perhaps SHE is the one with the "issues" and not EVERYONE else. As she begins to make a complete 180, I actually started to like her character. By the end, I was on Team Darcy.

While I don't think it was quite as good as the first book in the series, it was well worth the read. I was very happy with how the story came to a close and would recommend it if you are looking for a light and entertaining book to read.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Goodreads SummayWhen literature student Anastasia Steele is drafted to interview the successful young entrepreneur Christian Grey for her campus magazine, she finds him attractive, enigmatic and intimidating. Convinced their meeting went badly, she tries to put Grey out of her mind - until he happens to turn up at the out-of-town hardware store where she works part-time.The unworldly, innocent Ana is shocked to realize she wants this man, and when he warns her to keep her distance it only makes her more desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her - but on his own terms.Shocked yet thrilled by Grey's singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success – his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving adoptive family – Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a passionate, physical and daring affair, Ana learns more about her own dark desires, as well as the Christian Grey hidden away from public scrutiny. Can their relationship transcend physical passion? Will Ana find it in herself to submit to the self-indulgent Master? And if she does, will she still love what she finds? Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever.

Flo's Review

Why, oh why, don't I just listen?!? My good friends warned me that I would not like this book. So why did I spend $9.99 of my hard-earned cash buying this e-book, when I could have spent it on another apple martini at the restaurant last night?!

I'll tell you why. Because EVERYONE is talking about this series. EVERYONE. So, it's got to be good, right?! I made it, according to my Nook, to page 143 of 391 (Nook pages are different) before I could do it no more. And that was after wanting to quit for awhile, but trying to push through a little longer. Here is my main problem with the book:

Nothing. Happens.

I know that sounds counter to what you've heard about this book. But I can assure you, in the 36% of the book I made it through, not much happened. My main problem is dragging something out that does not need to be dragged out. Anastasia Steele is attracted to Christian Grey. Ok, cool. Tell us. Give us a few example. THEN MOVE ON. I do not need to read for three pages about how he makes you nervous. Tell us, describe it, give a few examples and you can be done with that in a page or two tops. No need to go to a different setting and then go through the whole things ALL OVER AGAIN. Here's kind of what it looked like:

Ok, because I, unlike this book, do not want to go on and on about the same point, let's move on to my next rant. I have said over and over again that I have a hard time liking books if I don't like the main characters and I do not like either one of these two. I realize Ana is supposed to be very vanilla, but her character kind of doesn't mesh. She spends a lot of the time not understanding why Christian Grey likes her because she's sooo ordinary, yet we learn that both Jose and Paul like her. They can like her, but Christian Grey can't?! Yes, apparently.

Christian Grey. He's supposed to be soooo hot and all that, but I cannot find a guy hot if his personality is not also hot, and trust me when I tell you, his personality is NOT hot. Ana calls him a control freak -- he is one. And I won't give away his "secret" to avoid being spoilery, but NOTHING about that is okay. NOTHING. And how Ana thinks something along the lines of, "I'll do whatever he wants!" Not. Okay. And I think I read in the synopsis for the other 2 books in the trilogy that it's because he had a rough childhood and we come to understand him more or something....still? Not. Okay.

I like to be positive, so let's end this review on a positive note. The thing that I actually really liked about this book was how well James equated it to Twilight. I had fun realizing which characters in this book were which Twilight characters, and which scenes were being mirrored. James was pretty much spot on with it, and I liked the creativity and the cleverness.

Okay, let's discuss! I just honestly want to know why you liked this book, if you did. Am I missing something awesome because I didn't finish the book? Also, if you are the one other person on the planet besides me who did not like this book, I'd like to hear from you, too!

In order to develop a secure defense against a hostile alien race's next attack, government agencies breed child geniuses and train them as soldiers. A brilliant young boy, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin lives with his kind but distant parents, his sadistic brother Peter, and the person he loves more than anyone else, his sister Valentine. Peter and Valentine were candidates for the soldier-training program but didn't make the cut—young Ender is the Wiggin drafted to the orbiting Battle School for rigorous military training. Ender's skills make him a leader in school and respected in the Battle Room, where children play at mock battles in zero gravity. Yet growing up in an artificial community of young soldiers Ender suffers greatly from isolation, rivalry from his peers, pressure from the adult teachers, and an unsettling fear of the alien invaders. His psychological battles include loneliness, fear that he is becoming like the cruel brother he remembers, and fanning the flames of devotion to his beloved sister. Is Ender the general Earth needs? But Ender is not the only result of the genetic experiments. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway for almost as long. Ender's two older siblings are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. Between the three of them lie the abilities to remake a world. If, that is, the world survives. Ender's Game is the winner of the 1985 Nebula Award for Best Novel and the 1986 Hugo Award for Best Novel.

Flo's Review

I bought this book a long time ago, and I wanted to get it read before the movie comes out. I am a huge fan of YA dystopian fiction, so I wanted to love this...but I did not.

This book disturbed me, y'all.

And it takes a bit to disturb me. I mean, my all-time favorite book series' revolves around the concept of government-mandated, televised kid killing. But Ender's Game....I don't know. First of all, Ender and his siblings were created to be military leaders. Ender's brother Peter was too harsh; his sister Valentine too soft. Ender was "the one." He is taken to battle school at the age of 6 where he and lots of other kids spend their days fighting these battles -- called "games." And then there are other individual virtual reality "games" for the students as well.

I clearly understand that this book is supposed to disturb you, upset you, make you think about society. The ruling government is basically trying to make Ender into what they want him to be, no matter what the cost. So they make sure to isolate him, make him uncomfortable and things like that. Yeah, the 6 year old. I mean, with Hunger Games -- which is the series I was referring to earlier -- you are dealing with teenagers. Here, it is CHILDREN. I mean, that doesn't make it worse...but it does.

The straw that broke the camel's back for me was hearing Peter and Valentine's plans. Holy crow. I won't tell you the plans in case you would consider it a spoiler, but.... They are 10 and 13 years old. Although, I will say my favorite line from the book came from this part: "I can't have a weekly column. I don't even have a monthly period yet" from Valentine. LOL.

So...would I recommend Ender's Game? I don't know. It might be a book you enjoy. It just wasn't for me.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

He may have given her up without a fight, but Sawyer Vincent is far from over losing the girl he’s loved all of his life. Instead of giving up his best friend and the girl he thought he’d spend forever with, he gave Ashton and his brother Beau his blessing. However, adjusting to seeing Ashton wrapped up in Beau’s arms isn’t easy. Complicating everything even more, Ashton’s cousin Lana is in town for the summer. Sweet, kind, soft-spoken Lana, who gets under his skin. Just being near her makes him forget all about Ashton and his broken heart. Lana is everything he wanted Ashton to be except she isn’t Ashton. She lacks the backbone to stand up for herself and confidence that Ashton wears like a crown.

Lana McDaniel has lived her life in her cousin's shadow. While Lana struggled with her grades no matter how hard she tried, her mother praised Ashton's intelligence. She hadn’t been blessed with Ashton’s blond hair and flawless skin, but that didn't keep her mother from lamenting her naturally red hair and freckles. But none of that would have mattered if Ashton hadn’t always had Sawyer Vincent wrapped around her finger -- the only boy Lana wanted. Once Ashton let Sawyer go, Lana had been so sure that he’d move on. Determined to make Sawyer finally see her, she'd talked her mother into letting her spend the summer with Ashton. But Sawyer is still in love with Ashton, and Lana isn’t going to be anyone's rebound girl. No matter how yummy Sawyer Vincent’s kisses taste.

MARY'S REVIEW:

*sigh* there is something about Sawyer and Beau Vincent that just makes this girl weak in the knees. When I read The Vincent BoysI was sure in love with bad-boy Beau.

However, times have changed Beau is with Ashton and Sawyer is on his own trying to deal with this situation. (Not going very well at first). Now enters Lana, Ashton's cousin. Lana has her own family drama and I can say that I truly felt sorry for this girl. I was so happy when Sawyer and Lana began to hang out together. But, you know that Sawyer just cannot stop loving Ashton and trust me Lana tries. I did enjoy seeing a different side of Sawyer than in the last book. He has a little bad-boy in him that we had not seen. On top of that, the ending was very good!

I really enjoyed this story BUT THERE WAS ONE THING MISSING. Beau and Ashton has the "truck scene" but we did not get one of those for Sawyer and Lana. THEN, Abbi did announce that if she received 200 reviews on Amazon that she would release that scene! (HEHE) I cannot wait for that.

Still grieving from their loss in the far East, Giovanni Vecchio and Beatrice De Novo discover that for them, all roads really do lead to Rome. But nothing is quite as it seems in the Eternal City. Joined by Carwyn and Tenzin, unexpected clashes greet them almost immediately, and rivalries churn beneath the glittering facade of the old Roman court. They quickly realize that allies might be enemies, and ancient rivals could hold the key to a deadly secret.

Giovanni and Beatrice will be forced to call on old alliances, ancient power, and fierce cunning to survive for the eternity they both desire. Sometimes, finding the end means going back to the beginning. Fire, Earth, Wind, and Water finally meet with devastating results in the conclusion of the Elemental Mysteries

MARY'S REVIEW:

Elizabeth Hunter's imagination must be out of this world. How do I know this? I know this because of this amazing series that she has wrote!

I am a vampire-lover. Yes, Edward Cullen was always my favorite but I can honestly say this statement:

Move over Edward, Gio stole my heart!

There is no one like Gio and Beatrice is his perfect mate. I cannot imagine a more perfect pair. You can honestly feel their love and need for each other.

This part of the story was mainly centered around Gio. I say that because we learn a lot of back story with Gio and Lorenzo (which I enjoyed a lot). The fights between the vampires were so detailed that Elizabeth really wanted you to be there fighting with them. The one character that I wanted to see more of was Ben, who is Gio and Beatrice "nephew". He is funny, smart, and very protective of his family. I hoping that in the future there might be a book of Ben's point-of-view.

I was very sad to see this story end =*( it has become one of more favorites stories. However, Elizabeth has announced that she will be doing a story in Carwyn's point-of-view (I CANNOT WAIT).

Thursday, June 7, 2012

At a freshman party she doesn't remember, Jess Jordan was almost raped.

...Almost. Very nearly. Not quite. Three years later, Jess has managed to make everyone believe she's better. Over it. Because she is.

...Almost. Very nearly. Not quite.

Unfortunately, until Jess proves she's back to normal activities, her parents won't discuss college. So, she lands a summer internship and strikes a deal with hockey jock, Gray Porter: He gets $8,000. She gets a fake boyfriend and a social life.

Jess has no idea Gray signed on for reasons other than money. She also never expects to fall in love. But Gray’s amazingly hot, holds her hand all the time, and makes her forget that he’s simply doing his job. It’s like having a real boyfriend.

...Almost. Very nearly. Not quite.

Gray Porter is hiding secrets of his own. About Jess Jordan. About why he’s driven to protect her, why he won't cash her checks, or deny her anything she asks.

Mary's Review:

I do not usually read books about rape. Its just my own personal choice, but when my Twitter friend @JennNun told me it was an outstanding read I knew that I had to read it.

I am so glad that I did. First off, it is not as graphic as I thought it might be. Second, Jess and Gray are amazing characters that you fall in love with instantly.

Poor Jess, the girl has been through so much since her freshmen year of high school when she was "Almost" raped. All the while, Gray was there in the shadows and she did not even realize it. Then they end up in the same internship and this "agreement" was for Jess to get back to a normal life. Gray did need the money but wanted so much more from Jess. You can really feel their love blossom and see the struggles that Gray goes through trying to help (and tell) Jess. On top of that, you can see the daily struggles that Jess goes through with this ordeal.

This is a outstanding love story. Its about strength, growth, trust, and most importantly LOVE!

Darkness has descended on the Transylvanian Alps.Four packs of the powerful Grey wolves – in a rare show of cooperation – had joined together here in an effort to help their pack members find true mates. Then they were betrayed by one of their own – an Alpha hell-bent on becoming the most powerful of the Canis lupis. And though the wolf's assassination attempt on the currently-reigning Romanian Alpha failed, his plans to get Decebel, the Romanian Beta, out of the picture were coming together even as his treachery was discovered. The wolf fled, leaving destruction, death, and a missing mate behind him.

Unbeknownst to the other packs, the wolf has employed a witch to finish the deadly job and help him gain another tool to increase his power. A curse of devastating proportions will cripple Decebel in a way that may dissolve his fragile bond with Jennifer. Meanwhile, injured and alone, Jen has been fighting for her life. She had come to terms with her fate, accepting that she would not share a life with Decebel, until help came in the most unexpected form...

Vasile will have to use all his resources – including Sally, the new gypsy healer of the Romanian pack – to discover a way in which to destroy the witch, lift the curse from Decebel and reunite him with the one woman who makes him whole, and solve a mystery that's been surrounding the Romanian pack for 300 years.

MARY'S REVIEW:

I have been waiting for this book since I finished Book 3: Just One Drop. I was literally counting the days on my calendar.

Finally, the moment came! I almost fainted! I cannot get enough of these wolves! I still believe that Jennifer Adams is the best (and funniest) character ever written and Decebel, well, he is the sexiest wolf EVER!!

Out Of The Dark picks up right where Just One Drop left off at. Jennifer is hurt and lost in the woods, Decebel is trying to save her (but she wants him to save her friends), Vasile was almost killed, Sally ends up being a Gypsy Healer (I KNOW RIGHT!!!???), and we still have Fane and Jacque.

Big, bad, wolf Thad try to kill Vasile (EPIC FAIL ON THAT ONE THAD!) and just when I think Decebel will be able to go save Jennifer, he is hit with a curse and cannot remember Jennifer. UGH! However, Decebel's wolf still knows that he needs Jennifer and that is all Decebel needs to go and find her. Along with that Sally, Jacque, and Fane are willing to do anything to save their Beta and Jennifer. We also get some new characters and they are just as awesome! They all tie this amazing story together.

Quinn Loftis was determined to give me a heart attack from this story, though. She was almost successful! However, there were 3 things that I wanted to see in this book and I got 2 of the 3. I will not want to spoil what they are so I will give hints. Someone gets hitched and there is more phasing. The #3 thing that I wanted I think will come in book 5 (which I hoping she is writing right now because I am not sure how much longer I can wait). I am really not sure if there will be a Book 5, there had been no official announcement from Quinn Loftis (as of yet). I do have my fingers crossed that there will be.

I really suggest that everyone read this series. They are fast and fabulous reads and have become one of my favorite series.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

I really enjoyed Divergent. In fact, I gave it 5 stars and recommended it to a number of friends. I wish I could say the same is true for Insurgent. I struggled through the majority of this book. I often lost focus and had to skim ahead to see if there was a apparent purpose to what I was reading. Ultimately, I felt this book was average at best. I gave it 3 out of 5 stars and can only hope that the final book in this series will take a turn for the better.

The first problem I had is the lack of back story. I realize the book is already 525 pages, but Veronica really needed to reintroduce the secondary characters. After waiting a year between reading Divergent and starting Insurgent, I had forgotten how several of the characters fit into the story. I was able to piece some of it together, but ultimately had to reread a few chapters in Divergent to obtain a clear understanding.

Next, I did not like the angle Veronica took with Tris and Four's characters. She made Tris out to be weak. She was supposed to be at the top of her initiation class and was looked up to by other Dauntless members because of her actions in book one, but she was a total head case in this book. I really wanted Tris to pick up a gun and defend herself. She needed to stop feeling sorry for herself and wasting the life her parents sacrificed their lives to protect. Also, what sort of person would side with her boyfriend's abusive father behind his back? The lack of communication between Tris and Four was incomprehensible to me. They should have been a team, working together towards a common goal.

With regards to Four, Veronica really played up the "he is a coward because of his father" angle way too much. She made his character out to be very harsh and emotionless. He seemed to lack a sense of compassion, which I don't think fits with his character. I also didn't like how Veronica seemed to add a make out scene every so often just to keep their relationship together. There really wasn't a connection between Tris and Four the majority of the book. They were working independently and didn't share anything personal with one another until the very end.

I could bring up some additional issues with the book, but I will move onto the positives. The book was fast paced due to all of the action scenes, which were very well written. We also got to learn more about life in the other factions and how all of the factions and factionless interacted with one another. We can also see first hand that life for the factionless is not as bad as it was made out to be by the leaders. I feel like Veronica left the possibilities for book 3 wide open. I have no idea what direction she will take, but I can only hope that all of the drama between Four and Tris is over. They need to work together and Tris needs to toughen up again if she is going to be of any use in the final book. She needs to stop thinking about all of the things Four taught her during her initiation and start actually using what she was taught. She needs to be the strong divergent character who is not only Smart (Erudite) and Selfless (Abnegation), but Fearless (Dauntless) as well.

Flo's Review

Mary was the first BookNerd to read Insurgent. She kept tweeting us to hurry and read it so we could talk! I finally gave up on the idea of waiting to get it from the library and just downloaded it to my Nook.

So. Much. Love.

I really enjoyed seeing the different factions. In Divergent, we knew Abnegation and Dauntless, basically. In this book, we get to spend time in all of them. Veronica Roth shows us that ALL of the factions have their dark sides -- not just Dauntless.

Tris and Four’s relationship in this book. It grew. It struggled. There were times I did not agree with Tris’ actions. And there were times I hurt because they hurt. But how real and raw their love is. You can’t help but admire something so strong that it stays standing -- even if it wavers a little bit -- when everything else around them is literally falling apart.

Pacing in this book was incredible. I kept wanting to put it down at several points, but I just could not find a natural place to do so! From the time when Tris and her friends leave Amity in the beginning through the very last page, there is non-stop action.

I got to the end and was like, “WHAT?!” Definitely had to re-read it a few times to process what was being set up for the third installment in the trilogy, Detergent. It will bring to light to something that while I honestly should have considered it, it NEVER crossed my mind. I honestly have no idea where Veronica Roth is going with this, and I can’t wait to see!

I finished Insurgent before all the other Book Nerds because I could NOT PUT IT DOWN! It was so good! Just like with Divergent it was such a page-turner.

Tris and Four's relationship was totally crazy throughout this book. It frustrated me so much, but I understood what Veronica Roth was doing. Also, like Flo, I liked seeing the interactions with the other fractions and all characters.

The best part of the book was the ending....O......M.......G!!!!!!! Talk about a cliff hanger!! I am counting down to the days till Book 3, for a few reasons. 1) what is going to have to Four and Tris? 2) what the heck is going to happen to the divergent and 3) well.....you have to read it because I do not want to give up any spoilers.